Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves found evidence from two officers identifying Mr Williams on CCTV footage was too unreliable to be admitted.

He said: “In the circumstances it is conceded there is not sufficient other evidence against the defendant for a trial to proceed.”

The court heard earlier that a fight broke out involving a group of young men on June 8 last year.

One of the men was stabbed several times, and a knife was found at the scene with the victim’s blood. CCTV footage from the club and a neighbouring business were seized. Two police officers later identified Mr Williams as the man in the footage.

But Mr Justice Greaves said in a judgment that the evidence of the officers did not have enough detail on how they identified Mr Williams to be admissible in court.

He said: “It may be in some cases where the video is of a sufficient quality that a facial recognition or identification can be made by an objective observer such as a jury but after viewing the video, I cannot say that is the case in this case.”

The judge said it was too late for officers to provide more details.

He said: “I would hold that the additional evidence would be too late to afford the defendant a fair trial in such a case as this when the only evidence against him is the alleged recognition by the police officers.”

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